About Krista Franks Brock

Krista Franks Brock is a regular contributor to DSNews.com and TheMReport.com. She previously served as managing editor of DS News magazine. Prior to joining DS News, she was managing editor of Southern Distinction, a regional lifestyle magazine based in Athens, Georgia. She is currently a freelance writer and editor for various online and print publications. She holds degrees in journalism and art from the University of Georgia, where she also earned a minor in Spanish.

Author Archives: Krista Franks Brock

ProTeck noted a census report that revealed a $5,000 increase in median household income in 2013 in Seattle as well as a Forbes Magazine article that listed Seattle as one of the best places for business. Amazon, Costco, Boeing, Microsoft, and Nordstrom all have a presence in Seattle, making for a strong job market.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently proposed an expansion of its consumer complaint database that would include publicly publishing full narratives of consumers' complaints against financial institutions.

Looking ahead, things don't get much better, according to Black Knight Financial Services. Beyond the next three years, Black Knight Financial Services predicts still-high payment increases as the next phase of HELOCs resets. Borrowers with HELOCs scheduled to reset in 2019 are using an average of about 40 percent of their available credit and will incur payment increases of about $200 per month based on their current rates.

GFS Capital Holdings, formerly Greenlight Financial Services, settled a claim with HUD regarding discrimination of women on maternity leave. The company agreed to pay a total of $48,000 to individuals against which it allegedly discriminated. HUD investigated Greenlight after a family complained the company denied their refinance loan application because the wife was on maternity leave at the time.

Mortgage performance is on the rise, and foreclosures are on the decline at the nation’s largest banks, according to the first-quarter Mortgage Metrics Report from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Representing 48 percent of outstanding first-lien residential mortgages, the OCC report includes data on mortgages at the nation’s seven largest servicers, based on portfolio size, and one federal savings association.

While persistent price gains continue to dominate headlines, homes in a majority of major markets across the country remain slightly undervalued, quashing any concerns of a rising housing bubble, according to the latest data from Trulia. Nationally, homes remain undervalued by 3 percent compared with long-term fundamentals, according to Trulia's Bubble Watch.

Home flippers reported more gains in 2013 than in any year on record, according to national real estate brokerage Redfin. The average home flipped last year was sold for $90,200 more than it was purchased, and in 11 of the 30 markets Redfin analyzed, flippers received gains of more than $100,000 per house.

Home purchases made with cash are on the decline across the country, according to Zillow, but cash sales still make up a significant portion of the lower-priced home market in many areas. Cash sales declined year-over-year in the first quarter in 102 of the 126 metro areas Zillow observes. Zillow chalked up the decline to waning investor demand and a resurgence of traditional buyers in the market.